Appeals Court Sanctions Insurer Over Denied Comp Death Claim

A North Carolina appeals court ordered a workers' compensation insurer and a furniture company to pay all litigation-related costs after the workplace shooting death of a woman whose family’s survivor benefits claim was denied and later accepted after the widower sued the company for wrongful death. Phelifia “Michelle” Marlow was shot and killed by a co-worker in 2021 while working for TCS Designs Inc., a commercial furniture manufacturer in Hickory, North Carolina. The employer denied a workers' comp claim for survivor benefits, alleging that the shooting was d...